Viking crouched to the floor and, hands on his head, said, “If me and AK can’t calm him the fuck down, who the fuck can?” Viking hushed with a pained voice.
Silence filled the room. All the men were quiet, hurt, in emotional pain. Instead of fear seizing my body, something inside me ignited. Flame’s face entered my mind and ushered my feet to move forward. I walked slowly to assume a position in the debating group.
“Me,” I whispered loudly, as I emerged from the shadows. All of the men stared at me in obvious disbelief, but I bit back all fear and offered, “Let me try. Let me try to calm Flame.”
I straightened my shoulders, meeting Styx's searching eyes. He did not move from his seat on the sofa. Ky glanced to Styx, then looked to me. “Maddie, this is club business. You can’t be in here.”
I ignored Ky, and stepped one pace forward. Not once did I take my eyes off Styx. “Let me try. Let me go to Flame.”
“Fuck,” Ky spat, but I could see in Styx’s calm eyes that he was thinking it through.
Turning to Viking, who was staring at me, mouth agape, I said, “Let me try. I… I feel I can help.”
“Maddie?” Mae’s voice calling from the hallway made stiffen. When I turned, she and Lilah were standing side by side, their pretty faces masked in shock.
Mae glanced to her husband, then walked into the room. “Maddie. You cannot. Flame… Flame is not well right now. He could hurt you.”
“He will not hurt me,” I bit back with complete conviction.
“He’s fucking tapped out, Madds. He ain’t the Flame you know.” I heard Ky, but I shook my head. It was then that Viking stepped beside me. I flinched at his proximity, but refused to be swayed from what I was determined to do.
“She’s right,” Viking rasped, my attention shot straight to his face. Viking was talking directly to Styx. “Right now I reckon he’d murder any cunt in his path, AK and myself included. But this little one,” Viking said, pointing at me. “I don’t know. Even as fucked and gone as he is right now, she may be our only fucking hope.”
“No!” Mae shouted, when Styx began to sign something to the brothers. My heart pounded as loud as a storm’s heavy rain hitting a window. I did not know what was being said, and from out of nowhere, a surge of anger inflamed my very soul.
The brothers began arguing with each other. Mae was pleading with Styx to refuse my request. And I shook with white-hot anger, incandescent at being ignored. I had been ignored enough in my life, pushed aside, thought of as weak and unimportant.
Not now. Not today.
“Stop!” I shrilled over the volume of frantic voices, my voice strong and unyielding. Suddenly, the room fell to into stunned silence. All eyes focused on me.
I fixed my eyes on Styx. “I do not need your permission. I am a grown woman, and I will not be discussed as if I were a child.”
“Maddie—” Mae tried to soothe, but I stepped away from her open arms and shook my head.
“Enough!” Mae reared back in shock. “I am doing this.”
“But, Sister, he is dangerous,” Lilah nervously spoke.
“We have been in greater danger than this in our lives, Lilah. And Flame saved me. Twice. If it is my turn to be his savior, then I will happily step into the fire.”
I looked up at Viking and ordered, “Take me to Flame.”
Viking did not even look at Styx for permission, he simply led me out of the door. As I passed Mae, she looked at Styx. “I am going with her.” I closed my eyes fighting back my anger. But as Mae fell in step at my side, I found her presence reassuring.
I turned to Lilah who was standing to the side of the room, the tip of her thumb in her mouth. I quickly walked over and quietly said, “I will be okay.”